Of salt, snowplows and dead turtles

No doubt the snow storms and sub-freezing temperatures that iced over our roads for much of last week were frustrating to a region unaccustomed to and unprepared for ice and snow, but in the end, it was only a week, and it was only the first time since 1990 that such wintry conditions survived for more the a few days, before being melted away by our typically warmer and rainier weather. So while I was as inconvenienced as anybody—not even the Postal Service was willing to brave it up and down my hill for seven days—I’m not particularly angry or concerned about the way the city responded to the mess.

Shit happens, and as Mayor Nickels acknowledged today, the city is ready to reevaluate its snow clearing procedures and work with Metro to provide more reliable service during future storms. But if it’s another 18 years before shit like this hits the region again, I’ll be neither surprised nor disappointed if the city’s performance isn’t any better.

But those of you demanding truckloads of salt and an army of steel-tipped snowplows to scrape the streets clean the next time a couple of inches of white stuff blankets the region better be prepared to deal with the consequences, because even the city’s minimal response has created or exacerbated damage that will take months, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.

Case in point, the hundreds of reflective “turtles” lying dead and dismembered on the sides of our roads, their shells cracked and broken in the wake of even rubber-tipped plows. As a transplant, I’ve learned to love these turtle markers, visible even on rainy nights, and ready to provide a rumbling warning when you stray over the line. We had plenty of salt and snowplows back in Philadelphia, but few turtles, as few would survive a typical winter of frequent plowing. Given the rarity of extended snow events here in Seattle, I’d choose the turtles over the plows, and while I don’t have any numbers to support my assertion, I’m guessing so would traffic safety statisticians.

You don’t get something for nothing, and there are costs to salt and plows beyond the cost of the actual salt and the plows. Of course we could do a better job clearing the roads, but I’m just not sure it’s worth the tradeoffs.

Goldy–
I think if you flipped Mayor Nipples on his back, he too would resemble a turtle…flailing away with his stubby arms & legs trying to right himself.
Hey…that is eerily similiar to his Administrative style…
The Mayor Nipples Turtle-style of Government…like a broken road turtle.
On his back with his round gut pointing skyward, flailing his stubby arms & legs trying to right himself.
But alas, like the broken raod turtle, Mayor Nipples is ready for the dump.

Stick it, Mr. C. I can give you quite a few examples of mutual aid. King COunty helped with equipment to fight fires in Eastern Wa, and not just firefighters, Roads Equipment. Other equipment is frequently loaned. Quite a long list is available at the ECC, and can be called on as needed. Plows, however are short.

If Bush & his boss, Cheney would declare winter storms a terrorist threat before they leave office, the Rethuglickers would be fine with directing obscene amounts of the nation’s treasure towards its irradication. The global war on weather……you’re either with us or against us!

Farley@10: Those bridges collapsed because of an incorrect metal plate that was too thin to serve as a junction of several girders. The bridge was designed in the 1960s when truck loads were lighter. Bridge construction began in 1964 and the bridge opened to traffic in 1967. Karl F. Rolvaag, Donkey was guvnur when the bridge was built. There were 575,000 pounds of construction materials on the bridge.

Since most of the regulars posters here don’t have jobs to get to anyway, what the fuck do they care about proper snow removal? I’m sure Goldy was happy as a clam stuck in his house for a week; as gainful employment continues to elude him as well.

As Goldie points out there is a cost to everything. Knocking out several thousand (tens of thousands?) turtles may have some expensive (even injury) consquences. Not that some salt, some steel plows on some streets, some front end loaders rented, and a whole lot of good planning might not do a lot of good.

Doesn’t Hwy 2 have reflectors that are imbedded in tiny cuts in the road so the snowplows can go over them?

Anyway, I like as many reflectors and turtles as possible. I’ve sometimes had trouble driving at night in the rain, when the combination of streetlights, headlights, and city lights create reflections off the street which make it pretty much impossible to see the street lines. The turtles, or at least reflectors, help a lot. I imagine they prevent quite a few accident, but it would be difficult to measure the extent to which they are helpful.

As to hiring private front-end loaders, I know of two which were hired to clear private parking lots, one at a bank and another at a local paint store. On both occassions, they managed to hit a car parked at the lot in the process.

But I still don’t know why a lot of stores didn’t clear their lots earlier. Sure, it would be hard work with shovels. But a lot of customers were passing by the “impassable” lots, looking for another business which was more accessable. Since those sales clerks put themselves at risk to come in to work, you might as well have each of them do a half-hour of shovel duty. After a couple of days, the lot would be clear.

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